The prestigious annual Rose D'Or Awards (now in their 55th year) honour the very best of international radio, TV and online entertainment programmes, and the awards ceremony took place last night (Tuesday, September 13th 2016). Over 400 programmes from more than 130 broadcasters and production companies in 33 different countries were submitted for this year’s Rose d’Or awards. For the first time, a new competition category, 'Radio Event Of The Year' was created. We entered European Dawn Chorus in this category, and we're absolutely delighted to let you know that ... drumroll... WE WON!!! We're absolutely thrilled to pieces, and a massive thanks to all our EBU and BirdLife International partners, we couldn't have done it without you! Click here to read more about the 2016 Rose D'Or awards (in which legendary funnyman John Cleese picked up the Lifetime Achievement award), and click here to relive - and re-listen to - all the beautiful Dawn Chorus birdsong from right across Europe.

***STOP PRESS*** Dawn Chorus Picks Up Another Award!

We're thrilled to let you know that on Friday, October 7th, the Dawn Chorus won the Innovation Award at the PPI Radio Awards in Kilkenny!

On Mooney today, with Marty Morrissey...

Marty's special guest is Kerry footballer Tomás Ó Sé, as he brings down the curtain on his inter-county career. Brenda Donohue catches up with a bunch of Swiss students - the latest winners of our Journey's On Us initiative. And we introduce you to rising star Hannah Roddy - the young girl from Ratoath with the BIG voice!

The Journey's On Us: Swiss Students

Mooney has hooked up with Irish Rail for their "The Journey's On Us" initiative. This is where 100 groups of up to 50 people per group will receive a free return rail journey to anywhere in the country. We particularly like this initiative as it allows voluntary, sports and charity groups to have a fun day out and not one that will break the bank.

ALL the winners been chosen and throughout the summer, many groups have been availing of their prize and travelling the Irish Rail Network, having a fun day out.

Recently, our reporter Brenda Donohue met a group of students from Switzerland who won a return trip from Dublin to Belfast... They were led by Palmerstown woman Denise Kelly, and Brenda met Denise and the students at 8am in Connolly Station, before they boarded the train for Belfast...

Study On Living Near Airports

You might think that living near the airport has its advantages - for instance, you’re always only a short taxi fare away from a spontaneous weekend break! However, a new study claims that living in the vicinity of an airport can have negative effects, and can even lead to greater risk of heart disease and stroke.

Singer Hannah Roddy, Aged 11

On Saturday night, Marty was at a Strictly Come Dancing fundraising event in Croke Park, trying to raise a few bob for St Maur’s GAA Club. And, after the interval, a singer took to the stage who was simply AMAZING!!

Her name is Hannah Roddy, she's from Ratoath in County Meath, and when she was only nine, she sang Imelda May’s Johnny Got A Boom Boom on The Late Late Toy Show!

Fast forward two years, and today Hannah Roddy and her mum Maebh Roddy, join Marty and Brenda in studio today!

And if you'd like to hear more of Hannah, she will be singing at a fashion show in Trim Castle tomorrow for the charity 'Aoibheann's Pink Tie', which a Dad set up after his little girl died of cancer. She will also appear at the Liberty Hall concert on Saturday night and then her panto at Christmas.

Tomás Ó Sé

"The raiding Ó Sé" - Tomás Ó Sé, of course - is one of the greatest defenders that Gaelic Football has produced. He has five All-Ireland winning medals to show for a fifteen-year career in the green and gold of Kerry! Tomás Ó Sé decided to hang up his boots earlier this month, and he’s in our Cork studio today for a chat...

Hedgerows: It is an offence to 'cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy hedgerows on uncultivated land during the nesting season from 1 March to 31 August, subject to certain exceptions'. For more information, click here.

UPDATE: February 29th 2016 - Press Release From BirdWatch Ireland:

Putting the record straight: Dates for burning and hedge-cutting have NOT changed

BirdWatch Ireland, Ireland’s largest conservation charity, is very concerned about misinformation that is currently circulating regarding the dates within which the burning of vegetation and cutting of hedges is permitted. It would like to remind landowners that all burning and cutting must cease on 29th February this year and that burning and cutting remains prohibited from 1st March to 31st August.

Despite attempts by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys T.D., to change the laws regulating these dates by introducing the Heritage Bill 2016 earlier this year, it is important to note that the proposed date changes were ultimately NOT made. This is because the bill failed to pass through both houses of the Oireachtas before the recent dissolution of the Dáil in advance of the general election.

The laws in place governing the dates for hedge-cutting and upland burning therefore remain unchanged. The period within which cutting and burning is prohibited are set down in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended in 2000), which states that:

(a) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy, during the period beginning on the 1st day of March and ending on the 31st day of August in any year, any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated.
(b) It shall be an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch during the period mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection (above).

The existing law provides exemptions for road safety and other circumstances and should be read carefully to ensure compliance.

Section 40 of the Wildlife Act exists to protect nesting birds. Many of our upland bird species are in decline and are in danger of extinction in Ireland; amongst them is the Curlew, which has declined by 80%. Many birds which nest in hedgerows into August are also in serious decline, including the endangered Yellowhammer. The changes to the cutting and burning dates which had been proposed in the now-defunct Heritage Bill 2016 would have caused serious impacts to these birds. A petition launched by BirdWatch Ireland in conjunction with several other national conservation organisations to stop these changes attracted more than 16,200 signatures and rising.

BirdWatch Ireland would also like to advise members of the public that if they see hedges being cut or fires in the uplands on or after 1st March, such activity could be illegal. In such cases, we would encourage people to contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service (www.npws.ie) to report such activity.

BirdWatch Ireland warmly welcomes the demise of the Heritage Bill 2016 and sincerely hopes that any future administration will consider the importance of Ireland’s natural heritage and will not attempt to reintroduce such a flawed and damaging piece of legislation.

RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Broadcaster.RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Images courtesy of Inpho.ie and Getty Images.